As a parent, sometimes it is easier to choose your battles, and one dad seems to have done exactly that.
In a viral Instagram video shared by mom Kali Branch (@kbdesign02025) earlier this month, a toddler can be seen walking over to her dad and climbing onto the seat with him to listen to a story. While this scene is probably nothing out of the ordinary for parents, it is for this family; Payton, 3, will listen only if her dad Adam, 41, wears a mask.
Branch, 38, from Cohasset, Massachusetts, told Newsweek: “She cries for me and won’t let him put her to bed if he attempts to do it without the mask.”
The caption reads: “I can’t make this stuff up!! My daughter had been giving my husband a hard time at bedtime so he tried out his Halloween costume and it worked like a charm! Kids are so weird.”
So far, the video of Adam disguised as Felonious Gru, the main protagonist of the movie Despicable Me, has racked up over 7.4 million views and almost 200,000 likes.
Kali Branch/Instagram/@kbdesign02025
Branch, an interior designer, also told Newsweek that Adam pulls out all the stops and even puts on Gru’s quasi-Russian accent. Seemingly, it works very well because Branch added that Payton has a much-better sleep after story time with dad as Gru.
For those who aren’t familiar with the animation series that first hit our screens in 2010, “Gru, a criminal mastermind,” according to IMDB [the Internet Movie Database].
IMBD
The first film’s description says that it is about a man who adopts three orphans with the intent to carry out the biggest heist in history. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when the little girls see the villain as their potential father. This is when viewers see a much-softer side to the bad guy, which has evidently left a lasting effect on Payton.
Instagram users can’t catch their breath after watching the clip shared on February 6. Some comments refer to the video as “iconic, hilarious and the best.”
“Hahahaha!! Desperate times call for desperate measures,” posted one user.
“Yes. These shenanigans are real. Here for it!” wrote another.
“How does this not give her nightmares?” asked a third commenter.
Branch told Newsweek: “She’s a second-born and not afraid of anything! She has watched the Minions: The Rise of Gru a million times and can’t get enough of it.”
Adam certainly isn’t the only parent who thinks out of the box to achieve a parenting goal. Newsweek has previously shared another dad’s hack aimed to tire out his son ahead of bed time.
If you have a family dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.